by Matthew Holloway | Sep 12, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Subterranean Border Defense Act spearheaded by Congressmen Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Lou Correa (D-CA) was passed in the House of Representatives. It now moves to the Senate where, if passed and signed into law, it would require the federal government to strengthen our border defenses through a layered system and produce annual reports to Congress on operations to counteract cross-border tunneling.
A statement released by Crane’s office warned, “As Transnational Criminal Organizations continue to grow in both size and sophistication, illicit cross-border tunnels along the southwest border of the United States represent a significant and growing threat to national security.”
“The Subterranean Border Defense Act would help Congress address the growing threat of illicit cross-border tunnels by requiring the submission of annual reports on counter tunneling operations, fortifying our security system at the border.”
According to Crane, since 1990 border officials have uncovered over 140 subterranean tunnels traversing and undermining the U.S. Southern border with Mexico with the smuggling activity through this method increasing by 80 percent since 2008 and the Obama Administration.
Rep. Crane explained, “Passage of this bill is a massive win for our security. The Biden-Harris Administration has eagerly dismantled our border, leaving Americans inexcusably vulnerable. This legislation would help counter that by making sure Congress has the info we need to address the deadly threat of cross-border tunnels. I’m grateful to Chairman Green for his support of my bill and for his distinguished leadership of the Homeland Security Committee.”
As reported by Border Report in July, a vacant lot used by food trucks in Tijuana was recently under heavy surveillance by Mexico’s National Guard and other law enforcement agencies after investigators said unidentified individuals were spotted digging several suspected drug tunnels on the property. One of the shafts reportedly connected to an existing tunnel that led under the border into the U.S. The northern terminus of the tunnel is not publicly known, but it reportedly leads to an area near the commercial side of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
As recently as February, an official release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement revealed that a tunnels system was located and shut down in Nogales, Arizona, which straddles the border with the Mexican city of Heroica Nogales, Sonora.
The report stated, “Department of Homeland Security agents and their counterparts from the Mexican Federal Police (SSP) entered both ends of the tunnel simultaneously early Thursday morning. No people were found, but SSP officers seized 550 pounds of bundled marijuana discovered inside.”
The tunnel was believed to be just a week old before being shut down by U.S. and Mexican authorities and was approximately 110 feet long. It averaged two feet wide and two feet tall with limited wooden braces and ran approximately 5 feet under the surface. In the report, ICE stated that federal authorities have shut down 22 completed cross-border tunnels in the Nogales area alone over the last three years.
In a statement from the House Committee on Homeland Security, Chairman Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) said, “The House of Representatives also passed two more Committee bills to combat Communist China’s deadly fentanyl supply chain across our Southwest border, which Beijing accomplishes with the help of criminal cartels. I’m proud of Congressmen LaLota and Crane’s leadership introducing bills to improve fentanyl interdiction and DHS’ mission to counter the insidious tunnels cartels often use to smuggle this poisonous drug––both commonsense pieces of legislation to close DHS capability gaps and help save lives amid this historic border crisis. I urge the Senate to take up and pass these measures without delay to combat the influence of our greatest geopolitical adversary.”
In a post to X sharing his comments on the Cross-Border Tunnel Report, Crane wrote, “My bipartisan bill would help Congress address the growing threat of illicit cross-border tunnels by requiring the submission of annual reports on counter tunneling operations, fortifying our security system at the border. Put simply, this legislation would help ensure that Congress has the necessary data to forge another much-needed layer of defense.”
The bill, H.R. 7404, was cosponsored by a dozen Republicans including Arizona Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar, Texas Congressmen Morgan Lutrell, Michael McCaul, and August Pfluger, as well as Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana. In addition to Correa, the bill was cosponsored by Democrat Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Sep 6, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressmen Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) have issued a letter directed to the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan. The letter called upon them both to answer for the prioritization of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training over other considerations by the Coast Guard. The Congressmen are demanding the two address the impact of this prioritized training on the operational readiness of the Guard.
As noted in a press release from Rep. Crane, “USCG has reported that it is about 4,800 members short and has missed its recruiting targets for the past four fiscal years, leading to the decommissioning and shorter lifecycle of USCG ships and increased burden on USCG members.”
The Arizona Congressman further observed, “At the same time, the USCG is carrying out indoctrination training, including Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) inclusivity training, which service members believe to be extraneous to mission-critical tasks.”
In April, the U.S. Naval Institute wrote that the Coast Guard, being 2,500 personnel under recruiting goals, has launched a “comprehensive talent realignment initiative that sought to address personnel shortages,” citing a top personnel officer.
In November 2023, Fagan was forced to acknowledge the then-shortfall of 3,500 recruits as it sidelined 10 Coast Guard Cutters and 29 stations according to Forbes.
The outlet reported, “Three east-coast based Reliance-class cutters, the USCGC Confidence (WMEC-619), the USCGC Dauntless(WMEC-624) and the USCGC Dependable (WMEC-626), will each enter layup in mid 2024, becoming little more than in-reserve ‘parts-barns’ for active, in-service cutters. Add in the March retirement of the Decisive (ex-WMEC-629) with the long-planned retirement of the USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623) later this year, and the loss of Coast Guard cutter capability becomes quite significant.”
In a post to X, Gaetz explained, “The U.S. Coast Guard is prioritizing indoctrination training over addressing its staffing shortages and military readiness. Today, I sent a letter with @RepEliCrane to DHS @SecMayorkas and USCG Commandant Linda Fagan to demand answers on why the USCG is focusing on training for Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity inclusivity instead of improving manning issues, meeting recruiting goals, and recommissioning ships.”
In the text of the letter, Crane and Gaetz tell Mayorkas and Fagan, “We have heard from service members concerned with trainings and events they believe to be extraneous to mission- critical tasks, specifically Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) inclusivity training programs, including the attached examples of official USCG announcements encouraging service member participation in Transgender Shipmates Inclusion Training.”
Among the Congressmen’s inquiries, they are demanding the Coast Guard and DHS answer: “How much of the USCG’s budget has been spent on developing and carrying out SOGI inclusivity trainings and events within the last three fiscal years?” They are also demanding a citation of the statutory authority which DHS and the USCG are using to justify said training and whether these trainings are taking place during work hours or after duty hours. Finally, they ask, “Do USCG personnel who attend SOGI inclusivity training events receive promotion points or recognition?”
The two conclude definitively, “We ask you to end SOGI inclusivity training programs within the USCG and focus on mission-critical operations.”
As noted by Citizen Free Press, Crane has been questioning the effectiveness of Coast Guard recruiting since at least November 2023 when he challenged Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier that the real cause of the decline could be “wokeness and drag shows on base.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Aug 16, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Republican Myron Lizer, a former Vice President of the Navajo Nation, announced his endorsement of Arizona GOP Senate Nominee Kari Lake in a statement released Wednesday.
In the statement provided to AZ Free News, Lizer wrote, “Having Kari Lake’s support for our community as a senator is invaluable and incredibly encouraging to see this as an opportunity for increased congressional engagement with the Navajo Nation. Her presence here is not just symbolic; it reflects her genuine commitment to our people and our issues. Kari Lake has unfinished business, and I wholeheartedly welcome her continued presence and efforts on behalf of the Navajo Nation as she runs for Senate.”
Lake responded in a post to X thanking Vice President Lizer. She wrote, “I am honored to be endorsed by small business owner and the 10th Vice President of the Navajo Nation, Myron Lizer.
For far too long, our native community has been ignored by congressmen and senators who delivered them NOTHING but broken promises. Under the America First policies of President Trump, our tribes flourished. They can and will have that peace and prosperity again.
Myron supports me because he knows I will be a strong voice for ALL Arizonans, including our native community, in Washington DC.”
Lizer and other Navajo Nation leaders met with Lake, Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ02), and campaign officials for President Donald Trump at St. Michaels, Arizona, on Tuesday, describing the event on X as “a great night… on the Great Navajo Nation!” He tagged Crane and Lake saying, “you all have tremendous support up here in northeastern AZ!!”
Lizer shared photos of the event and a post from the Trump campaign’s Kally Rael who wrote, “@TeamTrump, @KariLake and @EliCraneAZ met with Navajo Nation leaders from around the tribe for an intimate discussion on Navajo history, conservative values and the negative impacts caused by the incompetency of the Biden/Harris administration. A special thank you to Mr Tom Ranger and @NN_MyronLizer such a wonderful evening. Yéigo Trump!”
Lizer, served as Vice President of the Navajo tribal government from 2018-2023 under former Navajo President and Democrat Jonathan Nez. He is a well-known supporter of President Donald Trump and launched the Native Americans for Trump coalition in Williams, Arizona, with Donald Trump, Jr. in 2020. Nez is currently running to unseat Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ) in the second district. Lizer launched a primary campaign against Crane but did not gather enough signatures to appear on the ballot.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Aug 7, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties reacted to the announcement that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will join Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid to take the presidency in 2024. After being appointed the Democratic nominee in an irregular process disregarding the primary election, but prior to a largely ceremonial Democratic Convention, Harris announced Tuesday that Walz would join her as Vice Presidential nominee. Democrats in the state appeared to be largely toeing the party line with supportive statements, despite the very public snub of VP hopeful Sen. Mark Kelly. Republicans expressed concern that Walz will serve to radicalize the Democratic ticket further to the left.
As reported by AZ Capitol Times, Governor Katie Hobbs hailed the nomination saying she was “absolutely thrilled” about it. “I’ve had the chance to work with him directly on many issues and have seen first-hand his dedication to the American people,” she added, referring to her work with her fellow Democrat Governor. “I know the governors know what it takes to deliver for their states,” Hobbs told reporters. “And I am confident Gov. Walz and Vice President Harris will deliver for Arizona.”
Speaking to AZ Central, the normally rigid Hobbs uncharacteristically gushed at Walz, one of her few gubernatorial colleagues widely judged as more radically left, “Oh my gosh, you should have been in my house and heard my scream when I saw the news this morning. I’m absolutely thrilled that Vice President Harris has chosen him to be her running mate.”
In a post to X, Sen. Kelly, one of Walz’s chief rivals for the post wrote, “Vice President @KamalaHarris and Governor @Tim_Walz are going to move us forward. They’re already building a campaign to unite our country — and @GabbyGiffords and I are ready to do everything we can to help them win.”
Democrat Congressman and Senate nominee Ruben Gallego wrote a post to X, emphasizing Walz’s military service, which has come under heavy scrutiny with accusations that the Governor retired early, mid-training to avoid serving in Iraq, and losing his conditional rank as Command Sergeant Major.
Gallego wrote that Walz, “served our country for 24 years as a National Guardsman. Serving together in the House, I saw firsthand how he’s willing to work with anyone to fight for our kids, our veterans, and our future — and our country is better off because of it. He’s a good man and will continue to serve our country well.”
“We are incredibly excited to vote the Harris-Walz ticket into the White House this November,” Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano offered in a written statement, “Both Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have a strong record of delivering results on the issues that Arizonans care most about– protecting abortion rights, helping working families get ahead, and protecting our democracy.”
Arizona Republicans took a decidedly different and far more concerned view of Walz, citing his heavily criticized lack of response to the 2020 BLM riots in Minneapolis as well as his radical-left policies. Republican Senate nominee Kari Lake shared images of Minneapolis burning and wrote, “While violent mobs were burning down American cities like Minneapolis, @Tim_Walz was cheering them on @KamalaHarris was bailing them out @RubenGallego was marching with them Radicals.”
Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ5) expressed similar concerns writing, “Tim Walz let his state burn, and Kamala raised money to bail these criminals out of jail. This is the America that the radical Left wants.”
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ2), himself a veteran Navy SEAL sniper, shared a post to X citing a New York Post article exploring the allegation of stolen valor against Walz. According to the report, retired Command Sergeants Major Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr wrote, “On May 16th, 2005, [Walz] quit, betraying his country, leaving the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and its Soldiers hanging; without its senior Non-Commissioned Officer, as the battalion prepared for war,” in a letter first revealed by The Daily Wire.
The Republican Party of Arizona presented a damning record of Tim Walz in a post to X writing, “THE RADICAL RECORD OF TIM WALZ”:
- Hesitated to deploy the National Guard during the 2020 riots, letting Minneapolis burn
- Supports sanctuary cities and states, weakening our border security
- Wants taxpayer dollars to fund health care and college for illegal immigrants
- Advocates for universal health care and higher taxes on hardworking Americans
- Defends the right to abortion on demand up until the moment of birth
- Opposes voter ID laws, undermining election integrity
- Admitted his “white privilege” and sympathized with vandals who tore down historic statues
- Wants to phase out fossil fuels and impose strict emissions standards, harming our economy
- Cozied up to China throughout his career, praising their “spectacular” modernization
- Faced DUI charges and misrepresented his military rank
The AZGOP concluded, “Tim Walz is DANGEROUS for America. We can’t afford to let the far-left policies of the Harris-Walz ticket destroy our country.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 23, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressman and former Navy SEAL Sniper Eli Crane (R-AZ) visited the rooftop perch of attempted presidential assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks with his team on Monday and shared footage of his professional assessment. Crane’s perspective carries particular weight given his five combat deployments during his 13-year military career.
Crane wrote, “I’m on the roof of the building in Butler, PA, where shots were fired in an attempt to assassinate President Trump. As a former Navy SEAL sniper, it was clear to me that many security measures were dropped making Pres. Trump extremely vulnerable. Many questions still remain.”
According to Crane’s congressional website, the congressman was a post-9/11 enlistee in the U.S. Navy from Arizona, who worked his way up to the Naval Special Warfare Command, joining SEAL Team 3 based out of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California. Three of his wartime deployments were to Iraq. He was a SEAL for nine of his thirteen years in uniform.
The first video at just over a minute long presents Crane’s damning assessment of the tactical realities at the site of the attempted assassination, that directly conflicts with the narrative being presented by Director Kimberly Cheatle of the United States Secret Service.
He explained, “All right guys, I’m up here on the building where the supposed sniper took his shot. It’s not that steep at all. We just had a 70-year-old man back here climb up on the roof easily.”
Cheatle drew wide criticism when she justified the lack of Secret Service presence on the rooftop to ABC News saying, “That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof.” She added, “And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside.”
Crane noted that, if snipers were posted on a nearby water tower overlooking the building and the entire venue, “This guy wouldn’t have made it 5 feet up this roof. He would’ve been taken out.”
The Congressman also noted second floor windows in an adjacent building where Secret Service were “supposedly in the second floor of this building behind.” He added that it, “makes you wonder why they weren’t able to quickly dispatch the individual.”
In a subsequent post to X, Crane presented the vantage point from the second-floor windows that the Secret Service had access to. He wrote, “This video was taken from one of the windows the Secret Service had access to, overlooking the entire roof. As you can see, they had complete coverage. Makes you wonder how on earth they allowed the shooter to access the roof, let alone crawl up it & fire several shots.”
Crane’s assessment seemed to concur with that of Gene Petrino, a former SWAT commander for Florida’s Plantation Police Department, who questioned in an interview with Fox News why snipers were not stationed at the water tower that “would have had a vantage point of all the roofs,” and called out “the audacity for her to say that there was an issue with the sloped roof when her men were already on a sloped roof.”
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is testifying in front of the House Oversight Committee Monday. During these proceedings Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has accused Cheatle of perjuring herself and stonewalling members of the Committee, according to Fox News. Crane has a seat on the House Homeland Security Committee and the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.
“I will say this. It is very frustrating. And I’ve talked to my colleagues, and we’ve said it to your face that you have been up here basically stonewalling our ability to get the answers to the American people. And what I will also say is that every single member of Congress does not feel safe with you in charge. You have heard that. And I think that we are all sitting ducks with you and directing the Secret Service currently,” Luna said.
She then issued a formal request for Cheatle’s resignation: “But more importantly, it sends a message to our adversaries that we are not protected, and we are one of the strongest countries in the world. So, you have essentially made us a less safe country because of it. As a result of that, I’m asking you to formally step down.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
